Savings requirements should leave room for growth

In the view of VCI director-general Utz Tillmann, tightening the European energy saving target for 2030 up to 40 percent wouid be a wrong signal for an economic recovery in Europe. "Sectors like chemistry use energy, inter alia, to manufacture products that help other sectors of the economy to cut CO2 emissions. Such products are needed today and particularly in the future”, Tillmann said. Moreover, the European emission trading ensures for sectors like chemistry that they reliably reach their climate goals and thus also use energy more efficiently.

Today the Environment Committee of European Parliament (EP) adopted by a majority of votes a considerable tightening of the European energy saving target for 2030. The German chemical industry association Verband der Chemischen Industrie (VCI) sees this as a wrong signal for a continued economic recovery in Europe. VCI director-general Tillmann comments: “Depending on the economic development, the new saving target of 40 percent for 2030 can hamper growth. Sectors like chemistry use energy, inter alia, to manufacture products that help other sectors of the economy to cut CO2 emissions. Such products are needed today and particularly in the future.” According to Tillmann, with the tigther energy saving target the EU accepts the possibility that the above products can be no longer manufactured in Europe in the time to come.

The European Commission had already proposed to raise the energy efficiency target 2030 to 30 percent (currently: 27 percent). Tillmann counters with the argument that European emission trading ensures for sectors like chemistry that they reliably reach their climate goals and thus also use energy more efficiently. Consequently, he sees no need for a higher energy saving target. Tillmann emphasizes: “Moreover, every percentage point of tighter energy saving targets drives up the costs of energy-intensive production in Europe. This adversely affects our competitiveness.” He calls for energy efficiency requirements to leave room for future growth.

The VCI represents the politico-economic interests of around 1,700 German chemical companies and German subsidiaries of foreign businesses. For this purpose, the VCI is in contact with politicians, public authorities, other industries, science and media.The VCI stands for over 90 percent of the chemical industry in Germany. In 2016 the German chemical industry realised sales of around 185 billion euros and employed over 447,000 staff.